Letter to the editor

The recent article “ Texas GOP touts its Hispanic model” proves one thing and one thing only — that Texas Republicans are good at touting a delusional idea. The article highlights Texas GOP efforts to present a friendly face to Hispanics but ignores the devastating effects of the vast majority of Republican policies.

Texas Republicans can try to present themselves as moderates, but their recent record of using taxpayer dollars to suppress the Latino vote, and implement a roster of discriminatory polices, tells another tale.

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Despite telling a reporter that they consider themselves good on Latino issues, the entire Texas Republican congressional delegation, including both senators, voted against the DREAM Act. While Texas faced a $23 billion shortfall, Gov. Rick Perry pushed for emergency sanctuary city bills, focused on increasing law enforcement harassment and intimidation of Latinos. The first year that Hispanic children made up the majority of publicly educated students, Perry cut $5 billion from public education. He has also rejected $124 billion in expanding Medicaid coverage, coverage that would benefit many working Texan families, most of which are Latinos.

Aside from empty talking points, Texas Republicans are more focused on suppressing the votes of the Latino community than on supporting policies that would earn their votes. The GOP fought viciously for a Voter ID bill and to overturn the historic Voting Rights Act. They carried this discrimination over to their efforts at congressional redistricting, attempting to further marginalize the voting power of the Latino community. They did have a Latino secretary of state, who spent taxpayer dollars to declare thousands of (very much alive) minority voters as “suspected deceased,” in an attempt to remove them from voter rolls.

With supposed friends like these, Hispanic Texans don’t need enemies. But they already know that. When Republican governors appoint Hispanics to statewide positions, no-name and unfunded Anglo candidates usually defeat them in the following Republican primary. Whether Hispanic or Anglo, Texas Republican candidates rarely receive more that 35 percent of the Hispanic vote. This includes Sen.-elect Ted Cruz. In the end, he received virtually the same amount of votes as Mitt Romney. When a candidate with the last name of Cruz can’t win more Hispanic votes than Mitt “47%” Romney, you know that the Texas GOP is in trouble. Their talking points may play well in the Beltway, but Hispanic Texans back home aren’t buying it.

Hispanic voters in Texas understand who has cut education, turned down health care funding and tried to rob them of their vote. No amount of GOP public relations efforts will help to educate Latino children, or care for their seniors. And that is why Hispanic voters — in Texas, and in the nation — overwhelmingly support Democrats. Destructive and discriminatory policies cannot be covered up by cheap talk. And the Hispanic community is smart enough to know the difference.